Idealism views ideas as the only true reality and sees the aim of education as self-realization and spiritual development. It emphasizes cultivating truth, beauty, goodness, and moral values. The teacher plays a central role in idealism as a moral exemplar who guides students through discussion and lectures. Discipline involves internal rather than external control through freedom. Idealism sees the teacher as crucial for spiritual development and believes curriculum should include cultural heritage, humanity's expressions, and experiences from the environment and other people. While other methods are also used, idealism considers the teacher the most important influence in education.

1. IDEALISM AS A PHILOSOPHY OF
EDUCATION
MELBA M. LANGBIS
MAED - EAS

2. REVIEW
True or False
1. Idealism is the oldest system of philosophy
known to man.
2. Idealism originates with Plato.
3. Kant described idealism as transcendent
while Berkeley called it “immaterialism”.
4. In Idealism, ideas are the only true reality,
the only thing worth knowing.

3. 1) Aims of Education
IDEALISM AS A PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
2) Curriculum
3) Methods of Teaching
4) Discipline
5) Role of Teacher
6) Contribution to Education

4. 1) AIMS OF EDUCATION
a. Self-realization
According to Idealism, man is the most beautiful
creation of God. Hence, the advocates of Idealism lay great
stress on the exaltation of human personality. Self-
realization involves full knowledge of the Self. According to
J.S. Ross, “The aim of education specially associated with
Idealism is the exaltation of personality or self-realization
the making actual or real the highest potentialities of the
self”.

5. 1) AIMS OF EDUCATION
a. Self-realization
Aristotle says, “The supreme good to which we all aspire
is the happiness. A happy man is the one who is educated. A
happy man is virtuous, virtue is gained through education”.
Plato says that education is for the individual’s personal
betterment and that of the society.

6. Idealists give greater importance to
spiritual values in comparison with material
attainments. According to Rusk, “Education
must enable mankind through its culture to
enter more and more fully into the spiritual
realm, and also enlarge the boundaries of
spiritual realm”.
1) AIMS OF EDUCATION
b. To ensure Spiritual Development

7. Idealists assert that to develop spiritual values in
the individuals, pursuit of highest ideals namely-
Truth, Beauty and Goodness should be encouraged
more and more. The more an individual realizes these
ideals, the more spiritually developed he will become.
Hence, education should strive its utmost in
developing the child morally and spiritually so that he
achieves self-realization.
1) AIMS OF EDUCATION
c. To Cultivate Truth, Beauty and Goodness

8. The aim of education according to
Idealism is to acquaint the child with the
cultural heritage so that he conserves,
promotes and transmits it to the rising
generation.
1) AIMS OF EDUCATION
d. Conservation, Promotion and Transmission of
Cultural Heritage

9. Idealists hold the view that the inborn
instincts and inherent tendencies of the child
should be sublimated into spiritual qualities
and values. This is real development of the
individuality.
1) AIMS OF EDUCATION
e. Cultivation of Moral Values

10. Idealists uphold that education should
create such condition and provide an
environment which is conducive to the
development of spiritual values in a child.
Froebel rightly marks - ”The objects of
education is the realization of a faithful pure,
inviolable and hence holy life”.
1) AIMS OF EDUCATION
f. Preparation for a Holy Life

11. The world is planned and well organized. Man
can understand the purpose as well as the plan and
organization. According to Froebel- “In all things
there reigns an eternal law this all pervading
energetic, self-conscious and hence eternal unity.
Education should lead and guide man to face with
nature and to unify with God”.
1) AIMS OF EDUCATION
g. Development of Intelligence and Rationality

12. While structuring curriculum, idealists give
more importance to thoughts, feelings, ideals and
values that of the child and his activities. They
firmly hold that curriculum should be concerned
with the whole humanity and its expressions.
These experiences can be imbibed by two ways
namely (1) from the physical environment (2)
from contacts with other fellowmen.
2) CURRICULUM

13. 3) METHODS OF TEACHING
Idealism is a traditional philosophy of
education in which the teachers have the
most important role. They have to be a
role model so that the students will adopt
to become good citizen (learning through
imitation).

14. 3) METHODS OF TEACHING
Lecture method is considered the most important
one in which a teacher delivers lecture and students
listen to the teacher. Teacher selects the topic, teach the
topic then ask questions about it. Students answer the
questions. Then teacher provides feedback for students
to improve themselves (learning through lecturing).

15. Another method that suits idealism is the
Socratic Method wherein the teacher involves
the students in learning activities. The teacher
raises an issue and the students are
encouraged to discuss it in a dialogue form
and reach to a conclusion (learning through
discussion).
3) METHODS OF TEACHING

16. There is no specific method for teaching.
Socrates used Question-Answer Method, Plato
emphasized Discourse Method, Aristotle advocate
Inductive-Deductive method, Herbert advocated
Instruction Method.
Butler has rightly remarked “Idealists consider
themselves as creators and determines of
methods not devotees of some one method”.
3) METHODS OF TEACHING

17. 4) DISCIPLINE
Idealism believes that there can be no
spiritual development of the child without
discipline. Idealism emphasizes sympathetic
control on the undesirable activities of the child
whereas on the other hand, it grants regulated
liberty for his spiritual development.

18. 4) DISCIPLINE
* One should achieve discipline through
freedom.
* Behavior should have internal control rather
than external control.

19. 5) ROLE OF TEACHER
In Idealism, the role of a teacher is very
important and glorious. An Idealist teacher must
be imbued fully with higher degree of self-
knowledge, self-dynamism and essential
qualities of spiritualism.

20. 5) ROLE OF TEACHER
Idealists have high expectations of the teacher. The teacher must
be excellent, in order to serve as an example for the student, both
intellectually and morally. No other single element in the school
system is more important than the teacher. The teacher must excel
in knowledge and in human insight into the needs and capacities
of the learners; and must demonstrate moral excellence in
personal conduct and convictions. The teacher must also exercise
great creative skill in providing opportunities for the learners’
minds to discover, analyze, unify, synthesize and create
applications of knowledge to life and behavior.

21. 5) ROLE OF TEACHER
The idealist holds the role of the teacher to be that of
an important position. The teacher serves as a model for
the student by teaching through example and guidance
the lifelong habits of patience, tolerance and
perseverance towards a goal. It is the teacher’s
responsibility to encourage the students and to provide
them with materials to encourage them to work to
achieve higher goals

22. 6) CONTRIBUTION TO EDUCATION
Idealism is an important philosophy which has played
an important role in the field of education.
It provides a complete guideline for the students,
teachers, learning activities, etc.
In current age, idealism has been weak because
emphasis of education is put on the realistic approaches.
Still, it has its impacts in our education system.

23. 1. Are you an idealist person/teacher?
QUESTIONS
2. Which among the 6 aspects of idealism as
a philosophy of education caught your
attention/ touched your heart?
3. In today’s situation where values among
students seem forgotten, what is your
developmentally appropriate practice of
solution?

24. THEORIES OF LEARNING
Not a TABULARAZA
Learning through
developmental stage
(Developmental Theory-
Piaget)
Schema or
Prior Knowledge
(Anderson)
Social Theory
(Bandura)
ZPD
Child’s
Potential
Socio-Cultural Learning
Theory
(Vygotsky)